Casey vs the Fake Relationship
by Dimonah Tralon
Summary: Chuck and Morgan's best friend, Allie, starts "fake dating" Casey.  Yeah, because nothing can go wrong with that... Casey/OC
1. Chapter 1

"Okay, now try turning the computer on again," Chuck instructed from the other end of the phone.

I took a deep breath. "I really hope this works," I mumbled, pressing the power button. After a few moments, I sighed. "Nothing happened."

"I'm sorry, but there's nothing else we can try," Chuck said. "Your computer has had a good, long life, but it's dead."

"I was afraid you'd end up saying that," I said. "It's a good thing I backed everything up yesterday. Hey, you still going to be there in thirty minutes?"

"Uh, yeah. Why?"

I picked up my purse and grabbed my keys. "Because I'm heading over. I need to get a new laptop as soon as possible, and I would love it if you could help me pick out a new one."

"Sure! Come on down to the Buy More. I'll be here!" Chuck promised.

"Thanks, Chuck. See you soon." I snapped my phone shut. I was so happy that Chuck worked at the Buy More right now. I could not imagine having to buy a computer if he didn't. All of the Nerd Herd male employees at the Burbank Buy More seemed to have nothing better to do than try to pick up girls. Most of the green-shirts too. The only two who didn't leer at me when I went to the Buy More were Chuck and Morgan. Chuck didn't because, well, he's Chuck. Morgan didn't because I was his best friend, next to Chuck. The three of us had been known as the Three Musketeers from the day that Chuck and Ellie had moved into the same apartment complex where I was living. Morgan was helping the two of them move.

Morgan had been carrying a box when he tripped over a stone in the courtyard as I was passing by. His panicked cry of "No!" had caught my attention, and I had somehow managed to snag the edge of the box that he had dropped and slow its plummet to the ground. It turns out the box contained all of Chuck's computer/gaming equipment, and I had saved it from being damaged beyond repair, as Morgan had put it. This action had earned me the instant like, respect, and practical worship (in Morgan's case) from the two best friends. Ellie had baked me a plate of cookies to thank me for saving her from having to listen to Chuck and Morgan grieve over broken consoles for who knows how long. At that point, things just clicked between the Bartowski's and I.

As I walked into the store half an hour later, I started looking around for Chuck. To my confusion and dismay, he was nowhere in sight. I knew it was Morgan's day off, so he couldn't help me. I really wanted to find Chuck before Lester or Jeff saw that I was there alone.

"Hey, Alison."

I groaned. I _knew_ that leering tone. "Hey, Lester," I said, hoping that for some unknown reason he would be completely civil today.

"Chuck had to step out suddenly. Is there anything that I could help you with?"

If anyone else in the world said those words, it would be fine. But Lester seemed to have a way of turning everything he said into some type of proposition. I took a step back. "No thanks, Lester. I'm just here to look around. But thank you for the offer." I tried to be civil, but it was difficult.

"Chuck said you were on the lookout for some new merchandise," Jeff said. "You could take me home if you really wanted to." This statement was accompanied by a wink.

I took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

"Hey, morons," a voice said from behind me. "There are some customers at the Nerd Herd desk. Go bother them."

Jeff and Lester took one look at the person behind me and, to my surprise, left. I turned around and found myself staring into someone's chest. I took a step back and looked up. It took everything I had to not let my jaw drop. The man who had rescued me was downright hot. He had amazing blue eyes, and I suddenly understood what people were talking about when they said someone had a chiseled jaw. I quickly composed myself. "Thanks for rescuing me," I said with a smile. "My name is Alison Hudson, but my friends call me Allie."

"John Casey," the man grunted. "Chuck said to tell you that he's sorry he's not here. He had a Nerd Herd emergency. What can I help you with?"

"I need a new laptop. Toshiba would be preferable, but I'm open to other brands. What would you recommend?"

"What do you need the computer for?" John wanted to know.

"Writing stories and surfing the internet," I said.

"That's it?" John asked, surprised. I nodded.

"Yep. Well, a few games, but nothing really fancy like _Call of Duty_ or anything like that."

"What's the price range?" John asked.

"Definitely the less expensive ones," I said.

"Well, let's go take a look at the laptops," John said, already starting to walk away.

"I really appreciate this," I said as we walked. "I know that computers aren't your usual department." John simply shrugged, but didn't say anything. I quickly came to the conclusion that he didn't talk much. Not that I minded. I wasn't much of a talker when it came to people I didn't know. Once someone became a friend, however, the floodgates opened, and it was difficult to get me to stay quiet for long.

Right as we were finishing up, Chuck walked up to us. "Hey you two. How's it going?" he asked with a nervous smile.

I grinned. "Great! John was a really big help. This computer is perfect!" I said, picking up the box. I looked at John. "I really can't thank you enough. Both for the computer and for rescuing me from Jeff and Lester."

John grunted, which either meant "No trouble at all," or "That was one of the worst hours of my life." I chose to believe the first interpretation.

"Need any help checking out?" Lester asked as he and Jeff walked up.

I groaned. _You have got to be kidding me! _"Nope, I'm all set. Thanks anyways." I tried to walk away, but Jeff and Lester blocked my path.

"We need a woman's opinion on something," Lester said. I shifted the box slightly and tried to think of a way out of this conversation. I was willing to bet a week's pay that it wasn't going to lead anywhere good. "Do you think that John is attracted to women?"

"What? Why wouldn't he be?" I asked, still trying to come up with a way to leave.

"I'm beginning to believe that John may, ah, swing the other way," Lester said.

My eyes widened and I almost dropped the box holding my brand new laptop. Did Lester realize what he had said? What he had possibly unleashed? I had only known John for a little over an hour, but he did not seem like someone who's bad side you should _ever_ be on. Thankfully, John only glowered at him, his arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm into women, morons."

"You see, I don't think you are, John. If you were, you would have gone on some dates by now. But I know that you haven't. You go home and just sit in your little chair and watch movies every night." John growled and I raised an eyebrow at Chuck, who looked like he was starting to panic.

"Come on, guys," he said. "Casey has been on lots of dates."

Jeff and Lester did not looked convinced. "When?" Lester challenged.

I was having a hard time deciding if I should get involved in this or not when Chuck sent me a look that clearly said, _Help me! _"Last Saturday," I spoke up. All eyes turned toward me. "John went out last Saturday."

"With who?" Jeff asked.

"With me," I said without missing a beat. I desperately wanted to look at John to see his reaction, but that might give it away.

"I see," Lester said, nodding. "And, what did you two do on this date?" he asked, putting air quotes around the word date.

"Nothing too fancy," I said with a shrug, finally putting the laptop on the Nerd Herd desk. "Just dinner at Olive Garden and then John took me out dancing. And that is all the information you two are getting out of me!" I said, pointing a finger at Jeff and Lester. "The whole thing is absolutely none of your business."

Lester turned to John. "And when are the two of you going out again?" he asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but tomorrow night," John said. Now I _did_ turn to look at John.

"What are you two love birds going to do?" Jeff asked, clearly not buying our story.

"Order Chinese take-out and watch a movie," John said.

"That doesn't sound like much of a date," Lester scoffed.

"It's my fault," I jumped in. "I work in a daycare center, so I'm going to be exhausted by the time I get home from work. It'll take everything I have to stay awake during the movie. And as much as I _love _discussing my personal life with you people, I have to go. I have a library book that I need to return before the library closes. I'll see you guys later." With that, I once again picked up my laptop, and beat a hasty retreat. I had just reached the entrance when someone called my name. I bit back a sigh and turned around. It was a relief to realize that it was John walking towards me.

"Look, as much as I appreciate what you did back there…" John started, but I cut him off.

"I know that it wasn't any of my business, and I'm sorry for stepping in," I told him. "It's just, when Chuck begs for my help like he did, I can't help stepping in. I'm really sorry if I've caused you any problems with telling Jeff and Lester that we went out on a date last weekend."

John just stared at me for a few moments before shaking his head. "You don't need to apologize for anything," he said. "What I was going to say was that I had a favor to ask you."

Now I felt foolish, but I pushed the feeling aside. "Oh. Sure, anything you need," I said.

"Would you come over to my apartment for a few hours tomorrow? I've caught those two trying to spy on me before, and I don't want to take any chances of them finding out that we lied."

"On one condition," I said, fighting back a grin. John grunted, and I took it as a sign to continue. "Can we really order Chinese food?"

"That's what we said we were doing," John shrugged.

Now I did grin. "Great! I'll see you on Friday. Oh, I'm going to ask Chuck for your cell phone number so if I'm running late, then I can call you."

John nodded, almost in approval. "Because if we've already been on a date, then you would already have my number."

I grinned. "Exactly!" I glanced at my watch. "Okay, I really do have to get to the library before it closes. Have a good day!"

John simply grunted and walked away. I raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. I could only hope that tomorrow he would be a little bit more talkative.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of _Chuck_, with the exception of the first three seasons on DVD.

* * *

That night when Casey got off work, he stopped by his apartment just long enough to pick up audio and video bugs. Then he was gone again.

The first stop was to bug Hudson's place of work. He hid an audio bug behind the fridge, behind the toy box, in a room filled with miniature sleeping bags, and in the bathroom behind the mirror frame. The tiny video camera he placed above a row of cubbies inside a plastic plant. Once he had everything hooked up, he ran a few tests. Satisfied that he wouldn't miss anything anyone did or said at the daycare, he drove back to the apartment complex where he proceeded to put an audio bug in her car, under her dashboard. Her apartment would have to wait until after she left for work in the morning. Thankfully, she left long before he did. He would have more than enough time to bug her apartment before his shift at the Buy More. Seeing as there wasn't anything else he could do at the moment, he decided to turn in for the night.

Casey watched as she drove away the next morning. He waited until he was sure she hadn't turned around because she forgot something before he picked the lock on her apartment. He put audio bugs in the front room, the kitchen, her bedroom, and her bathroom. Then he put a video camera on the top of the bookcase. Based on the amount of dust he saw, she _never_ reached up there for anything…not even to clean. After he was done putting all the bugs in place, he decided to do a quick search of her apartment. He didn't find anything out of the ordinary, except for the number books lying around. She had more books than any normal person would be able to read in a lifetime. He flipped through a few random ones, but they all seemed to check out, but years of experience had taught him to never judge a book by it's cover. One might be surprised what a book could hide. He took one last quick look around, ensuring that none of the bugs or the video camera could be seen, then he left for the Buy More.

Nine hours later, he returned. After putting his bag down, he sat down in front of his surveillance equipment. Sliding on the headphones, he was just in time to hear Hudson start her car. A few moments later, music came through the audio bug. Then…_Is she really singing? Is she going to sing the whole way home?_ He bit back a groan. At least she could sing fairly well. Not perfectly by an means, but not the worst he'd ever heard. He hit "record" and left to order dinner.

* * *

The kids were fairly well behaved on Friday, but I had hadn't slept well the night before. By the time I got to my car to drive home, I was ready to call John and cancel, but I decided against it. I could sit through Chinese take-out and a movie. I dropped my purse off at home, changed my shirt, ran a brush through my hair, then headed over to John's apartment.

"Hey," I said with a tired smile.

John stepped back so I could come in. "Rough day?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Not really. It's a tiring job even on the best days." I followed John through the apartment to his kitchen and was surprised to see take out boxes already sitting on the counter. "Did you already order?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yeah. I assumed that you'd be hungry after working with little monsters all day."

I glared and pointed a finger at him. "They are _not_ monsters! They're three-year-olds. Usually very well behaved three-year-olds. So I would appreciate it if you would refer to them as either kids or children in the future."

John just looked at me for a few moments, probably surprised by my outburst. "I apologize," he said.

I smiled. "It's okay. A lot of people find children hard to understand."

John made a small humming noise then changed the subject. "Chuck said you usually order the combination fried rice."

"And he's right!" I said with a grin. "Is that what you got for me? How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing," John said, handing me a pair of chopsticks.

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I don't mind…"

"How is it a date if you pay for your own food?" John asked, sitting down on the couch.

I sat down next to him. "Good point. So, what movie are we going to watch?"

"I really only have action movies and documentaries," John said.

"Do you have the _Die Hard_ movies?" I asked eagerly.

John raised an eyebrow at me. "You like _Die Hard_?"

I shook my head. "John, I _love_ the _Die Hard_ movies. Let's put one of those on."

"Which one?"

I thought for a few moments. "Let's watch the first one. I like watching things in order. We can always watch number two next week. That is, if you want to do this again."

John shrugged as he put the movie in the DVD player. "If nothing else comes up," he said. With that, we both settled in to watch the movie.

Thirty minutes into it, I was starting to get drowsy. My rice sat half eaten on the table in front of me, and I was comfortably full. Not to mention John's couch was really cozy, and I had had a long day.

_Maybe I can close my eyes for just a few moments…_ The next thing I knew, someone was shaking my shoulder.

"Hey, wake up. Movie's over."

I shifted and opened my eyes slowly. "Huh? Oh my gosh! John, I am _so_ sorry! Why didn't you wake me up and send me home?"

"What, and have Jeff and Lester pester me about being a bad date? No thanks."

I stretched and stood up. "Point taken. Thanks for dinner, John. Again, I'm really sorry that I fell asleep."

John grunted, but didn't sound annoyed. "I'll walk you back to your apartment."

We walked silently back to my place, neither of us feeling the need to talk. When we got to my door, I turned around.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?" I asked.

"Nope. I got the day off. Why?" John asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

I shrugged. "Mainly just curious. Well, have a goodnight!" As I closed the door behind me, I decided that I would talk to Chuck tomorrow about John Casey. I had to think of something nice to do for him since I completely blew our non-date by falling asleep less than an hour into it.

I changed into my pajamas, crawled into bed, and quickly fell fast asleep.

* * *

After I finished eating breakfast the next morning, I called Chuck.

"Has John said anything to you about our fake date last night?" I asked.

Chuck laughed. "Casey _never_ talks about to me about…well, anything involving his personal life, really. Or his professional life either. Why? Did something happen?"

"Not really," I sighed. "To be completely honest, I fell asleep part way into a movie. But I don't want Jeff or Lester finding that out, okay? They'd never let John live it down."

"Gotcha. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me," Chuck promised.

"Any ideas on how I can make it up to him?" I asked.

"Honestly, I would just leave him be. Casey likes his space," Chuck told me.

"I guess," I said slowly. "Well, thanks anyways, Chuck. I'll talk to you later."

After I got off the phone with Chuck, I decided to spend the morning just reading on of my favorite books. Walking over to the bookshelf, I wasted no time in finding _Shogun._ I grabbed a water bottle from the fridge, curled up on the couch, and started to read.

* * *

Casey just stared at the screen. Hudson had been reading for almost three hours now, with no indication of being done any time soon. Every now and then she would shift slightly to get more comfortable, but that was it. Wasn't she going to eat something? How long could she possibly sit there reading?

It turned out to be quite a while. She was still reading two hours after that, bringing the total to five hours. Casey had just about had enough. She needed to eat. However, based on how little she had moved, he doubted that she even realized how long it had been since she had eaten breakfast.

Making a sudden decision, he stood up. Grabbing a small gun, his wallet, and his car keys, he locked his door and headed over to Hudson's apartment.

* * *

A knock on the door caused me to put my book down and stretch, cracking my back in the process. I walked over to the door and opened it. I have to admit that John was the last person I expected to be standing there.

"Hi!" I said brightly. "What brings you over here?"

"I was just going to go grab a bite to eat and was wondering if you would be willing to come with me," John said.

I hadn't realized until that moment how hungry I was. I glanced at my watch, then did a double take. "Holy crap, is it really 1:00 already?"

John half grinned. "Been busy?" he asked.

I smiled sheepishly. "I got caught up reading. I can read for hours without realizing just how much time has passed. But, yeah, I would be more than happy to go out to lunch with you. It's the least I could do after falling asleep on you last night." I quickly grabbed my purse, and we left.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the long delay! Life got...difficult for a while. Let's just leave it at that. On to the story!

* * *

It didn't take us long to decide where we wanted to eat. As John drove, I was content to just stare out the window, and not really think about anything.

"Must be a good book," John commented.

I turned to look at him. "Huh?"

"If you don't notice time passing, then it must be a good book," he clarified.

I chuckled. "Most books can make me lose track of time fairly easily," I said. "But the one I was reading today is one of my favorites. _Shogun_ by James Clavell. I've already read it at least twice, but it's such a good story."

John glanced at me for a brief moment. "You read books more than once?"

I nodded. "All the time. The true mark of a good book for me is if I read it more than twice. Granted, there's probably at least a dozen or so that fit that requirement."

"How many books have you read?"

"You mean, in my entire life?" I laughed for a good ten seconds. "John, there is no way I could even begin to give you an accurate count. I guess if you really wanted to know, I could sit down and make a list of every book that I can remember reading, but that will still take months to complete, if I ever do."

By now we were pulling up to the Subway. John parked the car and we got out. As we approached the doors, I suddenly gasped. "John, look!"

John followed my pointing finger. Sitting at one of the tables were Jeff and Lester. Before I could suggest that we go somewhere else, Lester spotted us. _Great, a pop quiz on my acting skills._ John opened the door for me, and as I passed him I said quietly, "Foot long, cold cut trio on white bread with pickles and light mayonnaise." John nodded and followed me into the restaurant. As we drew near the counter, I reached out and took John's hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Hello, Alison. I see you and John are eating out this fine day."

_Lights, camera, and…action! _I turned in mock surprise. "Lester! I didn't notice you were here. It's strange to see you alone."

Lester scoffed. "Oh, I'm not alone. I am in the fine company of Jeffery and Morgan."

This time my surprise was genuine. "Morgan is here?" Looking around, I spotted Morgan almost immediately. He waved and motioned for me to come over. I turned to John. "Babe, I'm going to go talk to Morgan, okay? Would you be willing to order my usual for me?"

John nodded. "I'll meet you over there in a few minutes."

I grinned. "Thanks!" Before I even realized what I was doing, I went up on my tiptoes and gave John a kiss on the cheek. Then I headed over to a stunned looking Morgan, mentally sighing as I did. If only Morgan could keep a secret, then I could explain everything later. But I knew that if I _did_ tell him, Jeff and Lester would find out within twenty-four hours, and three seconds after that, they would go right back to bugging John, who would probably end up inflicting some sort of bodily harm on the two of them.

"Are you out of your mind?" Morgan hissed before I had a chance to great him.

_And the surprises just keep on coming. _"Morgan, what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you and Casey!" he spluttered, waving an arm in John's general direction. "Jeff and Lester were trying to convince me that the two of you were dating, and I tried to defend your honor, and then you come walking in here holding his hand!" Morgan sadly shook his head. "This hurts, Al. It really hurts."

"Look, Morgan, I was going to tell you…" I began, going for the I'm-really-sorry approach, but he cut me off.

"When?"

I had to think about that one for a moment. "As soon as I knew where this was going," I explained. "Morgan, this just happened. We haven't been official for very long, okay? I swear, I was going to tell you the next time I saw you. I haven't told Ellie or Awesome yet. I was going to, once the time was right." I reached out and placed a hand on Morgan's arm. "Please, Morgan. You _have _to believe me. The last thing I ever wanted to do was to hurt you."

"I just want to make sure that you know what you're getting yourself into, Al."

The way Morgan said that made me pause. "What are you trying to say, Morgan? That John is a bad guy? That he has some type of deep, dark secret that could hurt me?"

Morgan sighed. "All I'm saying is that John Casey isn't the man you think he is." At my dubious look, he continued. "Just trust me, okay?"

It was so hard to not blurt out the truth then and there! I settled for a smile as I gave Morgan's hand a squeeze. "I do trust you, Morgan. I know you're just trying to look out for me."

Morgan looked like he wanted to say more, but John came walking up with our sandwiches.

"Everything okay?" he asked, putting the tray on the table.

I let go of Morgan's hand and sat down. "Yep! Everything is fine."

"Well, it was…surprising…to see you two here, together," Morgan said. "But I, uh, I have to…go meet Chuck. We've got plans." Without waiting for a reply from either of us, Morgan left.

I sighed as I unwrapped my sandwich. How did this happen? One moment it was all about getting Lester and Jeff off John's back, and the next thing I knew, I was lying to one of my best friends.

"What did Grimes want?" John asked.

I blinked, bringing my mind back to the present. "Huh? Oh, nothing much." I had no intention of telling John what Morgan had said about him. He didn't need to know about my conflict. "He was warning me about you." Crap! There goes my mouth without my permission!

John raised an eyebrow at me, but didn't say anything as he took a bite of his sandwich. He didn't need to. His look clearly indicated that he wanted to know more.

"All he would say is that you're not the man I think you are. I have no idea what he's talking about. He's not making any sense. I haven't really known you long enough to even begin to know who you are." I frowned. "I don't like lying to him, but I certainly can't tell him the truth."

John grunted, but didn't answer.

I bit back a sigh. "What do you think I should do?" I asked, going for the direct approach.

John swallowed. "I appreciate all the help you've been giving me in regards to my…issue…with Barns and Patel, but I'm not going to ask you to lie to your friends."

"Do you think I should tell Morgan the truth?"

"I'm pretty sure Grimes can handle it," John said, surprising me. "Especially if he knows it's important to you."

"I just don't understand why he thinks he needs to warn me about you," I said after we had eaten in silence for a few minutes.

"I've developed a bit of a reputation at the Buy More," John explained.

I leaned forward slightly, eager to hear more. "What kind of reputation?"

John half smirked. "Of being a cold, unfeeling bastard."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, number one, please don't use language like that around me. Number two, what on Earth gave them that idea?"

John shrugged. "Probably because I am."

"I don't believe it!" I declared. John just stared at me, so I continued. "You are _not_ cold and unfeeling, John. If you were, you would have told me that Morgan was a moron for not knowing the truth about us. Instead, you told me to tell him what's really going on. Not to mention putting up with me for so long."

John stood up. "Are you done eating?"

I blinked. "Huh? Oh, yeah, I guess."

John started walking away. "Then let's go."

I jumped up to follow him, surprised at his abrupt tone. _I knew I should have kept my mouth shut. _

The ride back to the apartment complex was a silent one. I mainly just stared out the window, lost in thought, wondering what the next step was. We pulled into the parking lot, and John turned off the car.

"Thanks for lunch," I said, unbuckling my seatbelt. John just grunted and got out of the car. He walked me back to my apartment.

"Same time next week?" he asked.

My eyebrows rose in surprise. "You mean lunch?" I asked.

"That and a movie Friday night," he said.

I smiled. "Yeah, that would be great!" I told him. "I'll see you then."

John's voice had me turning around again. "Do you ever attend Ellie's Sunday dinners?"

I shook my head. "No. She says that I always have an invitation, but I don't ever go. I'm more of a loner than a big crowd type of person." John grunted, and I figured that was all he was going to say. "Hope you have a good weekend," I said, then walked inside.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Many, many, many thanks to my beta reader for all of her hard work! On with the chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

That night, I called Morgan and invited him over for dinner. Thankfully, he agreed. When he came through the door, I could tell that he was still a little miffed at me. He softened up a little when he saw that I had made him his favorite foods for dinner, which is what I had been going for. As I handed him his dessert, I got to the reason why I had invited him over in the first place.

"I have a secret," I announced.

Morgan leaned forward eagerly.

"Before I say another word, Morgan, I need you to swear on our friendship that you won't breathe a word of this to _anyone_, do you understand?"

"Imperial Stormtroopers couldn't open these lips," Morgan promised.

I took a deep breath. "John and I aren't really dating."

Morgan's reaction was priceless. It almost made lying to him in the first place worth it. His mouth dropped open in shock, and he froze, just staring at me for a good five minutes before he was able to speak again. "You're not?"

I shook my head. "Nope. We're 'fake dating' for lack of a better phrase."

Morgan sat back in his chair, shaking his head. "You totally had me fooled."

I grinned. "Well, that's good. That means that Jeff and Lester have no idea that it's all fake."

"Jeff and Lester? Where do they fit in with all of this?" Morgan wanted to know, so I told him the entire story, starting with my computer dying and ending with him seeing John and me at Subway together.

"I never meant to lie to you," I said with a sigh. "I never even thought to tell you about us. I didn't feel there was any reason to. The last thing I had ever expected was for you to see us together like that."

"Does Chuck know?" Morgan asked.

"Oh yeah," I said. "He was there when Jeff and Lester were bugging John, and he knows how the first date went."

Morgan shook his head. "I cannot believe that you fell asleep while watching _Die Hard._ Do you know how cool that movie is?"

I chuckled. "Morgan, I've watched that movie with you and Chuck for years. You know how cool I think that movie is." For the next hour or so, we just sat and talked about our favorite movies. Finally, Morgan said that he had to leave because he had to get to the Buy More early.

"Thanks for giving me a chance to explain," I said as I walked him to the door.

Morgan gave me a hug. "You know I could never stay mad at you, Al."

I stood at the door and watched to make sure that Morgan got back safely. I know, how many things could possibly happen in the hundred yards between our apartments, right? Well, one time I tripped and sprained an ankle while walking back from Chuck's place. After that, I've always watched to make sure people make it to their doors safely. As I turned to close the door, I happened to look across the courtyard, and I saw John watching me from his window. I smiled and gave him a little wave, then closed the door.

* * *

Casey watched in amazement as Hudson simply smiled and waved before closing the door. Most people would have found it creepy that he was watching them. Something told him that she was different though. She apparently had the talent to find the good in people. After all, most people were intimated by his surly attitude. Allie, on the other hand, wasn't, or did a very good job at hiding it.

Why had he invited her over? Barnes and Patel hadn't tried to spy on him ever since he caught them that first time around. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was not knowing why he did something. Anything that he couldn't explain was a problem that needed to be dealt with. Everything in life had a reasonable, logical explanation.

Casey sighed. He didn't have time to think about this right now. He wasn't going to see Allie again until Friday. He an entire week to figure out what he was going to do.

* * *

On Sunday night, I found myself nervously heading over to the Woodcombs for dinner. I really had no reason to feel that way. I had known the Bartowskis for years. They had almost become my second family. My nervousness probably had something to do with knowing that John was going to be there, which was still insane. I hadn't known him for all that long. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that I was here because Ellie asked me to come. Why she had been so insistent, I had no idea. Raising a fist, I knocked on the door.

Ellie opened the door with a smile. "Allie! I'm so glad you made it!" she said, gently taking my arm and pulling me inside. "You're just in time. I just announced that dinner was ready." She led me over to the table where everyone else was already starting to sit down. "I have you sitting next to John. I hope that's okay."

I bit back a gasp as a colony of butterflies erupted in my stomach. _Get a grip! You haven't known John for long enough to be feeling this way about him already!_ I realized that Ellie was waiting for an answer. I nodded. "Yeah, that's fine," I said. What else was I supposed to say? No, that's not okay because I think I'm very attracted to him and I don't want to look like an idiot? Yeah, that would go over real well. I took a deep breath to steady myself and sat down.

* * *

Casey mentally groaned when he saw Ellie pull Allie into the apartment. He had just decided a few hours before that the best thing to do was to keep his distance from her as much as he could. He would invite her over on Friday nights to watch a movie, but that was it. He didn't know how well she could lie, so he had to give her something to tell Barnes and Patel the next time she went to the Buy More.

Maybe he could avoid her…never mind. Ellie had decided that Allie was going to sit next to him. Great. Now he had to talk to her.

"I thought you said that you never came to these," he said as Allie sat down next to him.

She blushed slightly and smiled sheepishly. "I usually don't. But, Ellie really wanted me to come. She even pulled out the famous 'Bartowski pout', and who am I to argue with that?" she said with a small laugh.

Casey felt the corners of his mouth twitch. Allie had a cute laugh that made him want to grin like a fool. He growled at the thought, then instantly regretted it when he saw her smile vanish. Before he could open his mouth to apologize, Allie spoke.

"Rough day today?" she asked sympathetically.

Casey nodded. "Something like that."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Allie asked.

Casey shook his head. "No," he snapped. He refused to feel guilty when he saw Allie's eyes widen slightly at his tone. She was proving to be nothing but trouble for him.

* * *

At John's tone, I instantly backed down. It was obvious he was in a foul mood, and the last thing I wanted to do was to push the issue. I ate in silence, content to just listen to the conversations going on around me. Ellie didn't let me stay quiet for long, though.

"So, Allie, tell us what you've been up to. How's your job going?"

I grinned. Ellie had found my weak spot. "I love my job! It is so much fun! Not to mention the kids are just adorable. Like, the other day. Timmy came running up to me and said, 'Ms. Allie, David hit me.' Before I could say anything, David yelled from across the room, 'I didn't hit him, I pushed him!' Well, I'm sure you know that pushing isn't allowed any more than hitting is, so after I stopped laughing, I put on my teacher face and called David over."

"Isn't Timmy the one who bites everyone?" Chuck asked.

I sighed. "Yes. He's getting better, but he still tries to bite a few times a day."

"Maybe David pushed him because Timmy bit him," John pointed out sarcastically.

I instantly shook my head. "No. David would have told me that Timmy bit him instead of pushing him."

"Still, you can't blame the kid for pushing him," John said with a shrug.

"You don't push your friends for any reason. That's the rule," I said, unconsciously using my "Teacher's Voice". "We use our words in my classroom, not our fists. Now, I realize that might be a foreign concept to a military man like yourself, but that's the way it works."

"Who says I'm military?" John challenged.

"I can just tell," I said with a shrug. "You may not still be on Active Duty, but you at least used to be military. I've never seen you slouch. Plus you have that 'my opinion is right, end of discussion' tone down pat."

John seemed to ignore that comment. "Are you saying that the kids shouldn't defend themselves?"

I rolled my eyes. "Why does everyone assume that if they're not allowed to hit, then they can't defend themselves? Yes, they should defend themselves, but not by pushing or punching someone else. They can always run and tell me that they're being hit, and then I can put a stop to it."

"So you want them to grow up being cowards?"

I groaned. "Stop putting words in my mouth! This is the problem I have with military people like you. You seem to think that if someone won't stand and fight, then they're automatically a coward! You know, it's that exact attitude that gets wars started. If people could just learn to sit down and talk it out instead of using their fists or their stupid guns, and be willing to compromise, then maybe people wouldn't have to go out and die!" I stood up from the table. "Ellie, I'm really sorry, but I have to go." I ran out the door before anyone could see the tears start to fall.

* * *

Everyone was silent for a few minutes after Allie's abrupt departure. Casey just sat there, staring down at his plate, trying to figure out what had just happened. Why had she gotten so upset? It was ridiculous!

"Cut her some slack, Casey," Bartowski said, seeming to read his thoughts. Casey looked up at the human intersect, one eyebrow raised. "Allie's best friend was killed in Afghanistan a few months ago. Don't get her wrong-she has a high respect for those serving our country, but she hates war."

Casey stood up from the table. "I, uh, I have to be going too. Thanks for dinner, Ellie. It was delicious."

The moment Casey got outside, he headed for his car. There was something he had to do.

* * *

I had just curled up on my couch with a cup of hot cocoa and _Shogun_ when someone knocked on my door. With a sigh, I got up to answer it, still holding my cocoa. What I saw when I opened my door took me by complete surprise. John stood there, a bouquet of red roses in his hands.

"Hi. Can I come in?" John asked. I nodded mutely and walked back over to the couch.

"I'm sorry," I said, not looking at him. "I shouldn't have gotten so upset earlier. Your comments just brought up some painful memories."

John sat down next to me on the couch. "Chuck told me about your friend. I had no idea. I'm sorry for your loss." After a pause, he continued. "I'm sorry that I gave the impression that I wouldn't listen to your opinions. Close minded people bother me, and I would hate to be thought as one of them." He held out the flowers. "Can we try again?"

I couldn't help smiling as I took the roses from him. "I really am sorry for getting so upset," I said as I walked to my kitchen to get the one vase that I had. "I shouldn't have made assumptions about the military the way I did. You didn't deserve that." I put the vase of roses on the counter, then turned to face John. "Would you like some hot chocolate?"

John shook his head. "I have an early shift tomorrow, so I need to get going. I'll see you Friday."

"Thank you for the flowers," I said as I walked him to the door. "I don't get them very often, so it's always a treat when I do."

John grunted. "Have a good night," he said, and left.

I watched him walk back to his door, my mind in turmoil. What was I supposed to do? Part of me was screaming at me to admit that I was attracted to him, but the other half recoiled in fear. My relationships never ended well. My heart had been broken far too often for me to just jump in with both feet. I shook my head as I closed my front door. Why was I even worrying about this? John didn't think of me like that at all. He had bought me flowers to say he was sorry, not because he was attracted to me. _But he still brought you flowers. Maybe he does like you._ I told the voice in my head to shut up as I dumped out the remainder of my hot chocolate and got ready for bed. It would be hours before I was able to finally fall asleep. I kept tossing and turning, trying unsuccessfully to stop thinking about John Casey.

* * *

The next few weeks flew by. Work kept me busy during the day, and I had started having mini-marathons of my favorite TV shows when I got home from work. On Friday nights I would head over to John's apartment to watch a movie while crocheting on his couch. At the moment, I was working on a Christening Blanket for my younger sister's baby girl, who was due in just a few months.

Despite my best efforts, I finally admitted to myself that I was attracted to John. After acknowledging that, I wondered what to do next. Past experience told me to proceed with extreme caution. Maybe I could start out small, and just ask him questions about himself.

"I just realized that I don't know anything about you," I suddenly said. We had decided to watch Pirates of the Caribbean, a movie I had seen dozens of times. "Where did you go to college?"

"Why?" came the unexpected reply.

I was confused. "Why what?"

"Why do you need to know?"

I blinked, surprised at the slight undertone of anger lacing his voice. "I don't need to know," I said. "I'm just curious."

"What for? It's not like we're in a real relationship," John grunted, never taking his eyes off the television.

A knife sliced through my chest. I knew that it had been stupid of me to believe that we would ever be more than friends, but I had thought that we were at leastfriends. Suddenly, I was tired of the charade. I stood up and stuffed my crochet into my bag.

"Where are you going?" John asked, finally looking away from the movie.

I refused to look at him. He would surely see how hurt I felt. "Home. I don't think this fake relationship is going to work out. If you want, I can come by the store tomorrow and you can break up with me there. Have a good night." I closed the door behind me and dashed across the courtyard, praying that he wouldn't come after me, yet hoping that he would just the same. Once I had shut my front door and locked it, I let the tears flow. I don't know how it happened, or when, but I had fallen for John Casey, and I had fallen hard.

* * *

Casey leaned over the video feed from Allie's apartment. He felt his heart clench at the sight of her slumped on the floor by her front door, sobbing. It was taking everything he had to not go running over to her apartment, gather her in his arms, and apologize. _I can't have a relationship in my line of work. It would just cause all sorts of problems,_ he told himself. The problem was that he used to really believe that. Used to being the key words. Over the last few weeks, Allie had somehow gotten under his carefully built up defenses. But what could he do? It was obvious that he had really hurt Allie, and he didn't know how to fix it. He also still wasn't convinced that he _should_ fix it. _It's better this way,_ he thought forcefully. _It was never real. He never got emotionally involved with anyone. Never._

So why was he hurting as much as he did?


	5. Chapter 5

A week later, Casey had just gotten home from a long shift when there was a knock on his door. He opened it and wasn't surprised to find Ellie standing there.

"Hi, John. Can I come in?" Ellie asked. Casey stepped back to let Ellie inside. "Thank you."

"What can I do for you, Ellie?" Casey asked.

Ellie twisted her fingers nervously. "I know that this is none of my business, but Allie is a really good friend of mine, and I hate to see her hurting the way she is. Isn't there something you can do to help her feel better?"

Casey sighed and wished he could explain exactly why he _shouldn't _do anything about it. "I know that she's…struggling, but I'm not sure that there's anything I can do to help her."

Ellie's eyes narrowed. "The least you could do is try," she pointed out. Then her voice softened. "She misses you, John. I don't know if you realize it, but she cares about you a lot. It really hurt her when you pushed her away. It's not too late to fix it."

"How?" Casey asked almost desperately. At that moment, he finally admitted to himself that he missed Allie. He missed her a lot, and he would do anything to get her back.

"Start by just talking to her," Ellie said. "Tell her you're sorry."

"I don't think she'll give me a chance," he said, shaking his head.

"Then do something nice for her. I just got off the phone with her. She's had a really hard day today. She could use some cheering up. You could buy her flowers; she would love that." Ellie glanced at her watch. "I have to get to the hospital. Just promise me you'll at least talk to her."

Casey opened his front door for her. "I promise. And Ellie? Thank you."

Ellie smiled gently. "Anytime, John. I'll see you for Sunday dinner."

After Ellie had left, Casey went and sat down in front of his surveillance equipment. Allie should be getting to her car soon. Sure enough, he heard her car door close a few moments later. He heard Allie start her car, and waited expectantly. After a few moments, however, nothing else happened. Wasn't she going to sing? She always sang on her way home. Then he heard her sigh.

_"Okay, Allie. You can do this. The day is almost over. Just drive home. Then you can curl up in your bed with Eeyore, watch a nice, sappy chick flick, and finally stop thinking about John Casey and the little monsters that you work with."_

Casey raised an eyebrow. She must have had a rough day if she was calling the kids monsters. Then the phrase before that sunk in. It sounded like he wasn't the only one who missed their weekly movie nights. Maybe Ellie was right. Maybe there was still a chance to fix this. He smirked as an idea started to form.

* * *

I let out another sigh as I pulled into my parking space. Today had been the worst day I had ever had while working in childcare, and that was saying something. Three children had blown out of their diapers, two had thrown up, and there had been a random outbreak of biting. At least I always kept a spare set of clothes in my car at all times. I could only pray that the stains came out of my clothes.

As I walked across the courtyard after locking my car, I heard a door open and John call my name. I ignored him. I did not have the energy to talk to anyone at the moment. All I wanted to do was go to bed early. Forget about the movie-I was too tired. A hand closed over my right wrist and I yelped in pain.

"Sorry! Did I hurt you?" John asked.

I turned with a sigh. "It's not your fault." I pulled my sleeve up. John let out a low growl when he saw the dark bruise covering the top part of my wrist. My stomach flipped. That growl had sounded sexy. _No! Do not even go there, girl..._

"What happened?" John asked, gently taking my wrist.

"One of the kids bit me today."

John raised an eyebrow at me. "You make it sound like it's not a big deal."

I shrugged. "It's not. At least, not from a medical point of view." At John's confused look, I elaborated. "There's no broken skin and I washed the area with soap and water the moment it happened. Then I scolded the child and put him in time-out. Once the bruise showed up, I showed him and told him that he really hurt me."

"You didn't spank him?"

"John, he's not my child. If I had spanked him, I would have gotten fired."

"It's still an unacceptable behavior," John said, letting go of my wrist and taking a step back.

"True, but you have to remember that the children I work with are only two and three years old. It's a perfectly normal stage for them to be going through." A yawn escaped before I had a chance to stop it. "I'm sorry. It's been a _very_ long day. Is there something you need?"

John took my hand and started pulling me towards his apartment. "I wanted to show you something."

I bit back a groan. "Can it wait? My bed is calling my name. I can hear it from here!"

"This is will only take a few moments," John assured me as he opened his door and pulled me inside. I gave up fighting (not that I was really fighting him in the first place) and just let him lead me. He led me into the kitchen and my eyes widened in surprise.

A wonderful dinner was laid out on the table. John had gone all out. There was steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, rolls, and a mouthwatering chocolate cake. Then I noticed that the table was set for two. I turned to John, a questioning look on my face.

He smiled gently. "Ellie told me you had had a rough day."

Bless Ellie's sweet little soul! I so owed her…something big. Something that I would come up with once my brain decided to start working again.

"John, I can't begin to thank you enough. I was planning on skipping dinner tonight because I am way too tired to even think about cooking." Before I could think about it, I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you so much. This is one of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me." To my surprise, he didn't pull away. Instead, his arms went around me and he just pulled me up against him. I leaned gratefully into his chest. I hadn't realized until that moment just how much I needed a hug.

Neither of us moved for a minute or so before John pulled back slightly. I tilted my head back to look at him. Without saying a word, he leaned down and brushed his lips softly against mine. The kiss lasted only a few moments, but it was enough to make my knees go weak.

"We should eat before the food gets cold."

It took my brain a few seconds to process what John had said. "You're probably right," I said, but made no attempt to move out of his arms. John smiled and gave me another quick kiss before taking me by the shoulders and steering me towards the table.

After we had been eating for a few minutes, I finally got up enough courage to speak up. "Where do we stand right now?" I asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, that kiss you gave me could mean several things. It could mean that you love me, that you're sorry, or that you want a real relationship with me. I just want to make sure that we're both on the same page here," I explained.

John was quiet for a few moments, and I was starting to get nervous before he spoke. "I want to have a relationship with you," he finally said. "I'm sorry that I hurt you the way I did. I'm not used to talking much about my past, and your questions caught me off guard."

"I'm sorry. I had no idea. You don't have to answer my questions if you don't want to. Next time just _tell_ me you don't like talking about your past, and I'll drop the subject." I took a moment to gather my thoughts. "I want to have a relationship with you too, John. Just promise me that if you don't want to talk about something, you'll let me know, and I'll promise to do the same."

John smiled. "I promise that I'll try."

I smiled back. "That's good enough for me."

The rest of dinner was spent just talking about how our days had gone since we last saw each other. After we cleaned up the dinner dishes, John and I curled up on the couch together to watch a movie. I tried my best to stay awake, but I quickly lost the battle. As John pulled a blanket over me, I tried to speak.

"John, I should…"

"Shhh. It's okay. Go to sleep, darlin'. I'll be here when you wake up."

I couldn't help smiling at that thought. I was still smiling as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

The next afternoon, I headed over to the Buy More. I wanted to tell Morgan and Chuck what had happened last night. I did not want a repeat of the Subway incident with Morgan. When I got into the store, I headed over to the Nerd Herd desk. Nobody was there, so I rang the little bell. Moments later, someone came over to help me.

"Good afternoon, Alison."

I was in such a good mood that _nothing_ was going to spoil it. "Hey, Lester!" I said, smiling. "Do you know where I can find Chuck?"

Lester nodded, and took a step closer to me. "I do indeed. But that information does not come free."

I rolled my eyes. "Do I even want to know what price you're asking?"

"Just a little kiss."

My jaw dropped open in shock. "Excuse me?"

"Come on now, I know you've had your eyes on me for the past few months," Lester said, taking another step towards me.

"Okay, number one, no I haven't. Number two, I'm saving my kisses for my boyfriend, a one John Casey if you remember correctly. A John Casey who will put your butt in traction so fast your head will be spinning for a month if you so much as try to touch me."

"Ah, but John is on his break. What he doesn't know can't hurt me." By now Lester had gotten close enough that he could easily reach out and grab me by the arm. Which he did, then tried to pull me up against him.

I let my hand fly and smacked him as hard as I could. He dropped my arm in a flash and stumbled back against the Nerd Herd counter.

"What is going on here?" Chuck said, running up to us, with John right behind him.

"Your girlfriend is insane!" Lester shrieked. "She attacked me!"

"Only after you tried to kiss me!" I cried.

John spun me around to face him. "He did what?" he growled.

_That is one pissed off, hot-looking man._ "He grabbed my arm after saying he wanted to kiss me, so I smacked him."

"No, no, no, I never said I wanted to kiss you!" Lester insisted with a nervous laugh.

I rolled my eyes. "Sorry, my mistake. He said that he knew that I always wanted to kiss him, and then grabbed me by the arm, so I smacked him."

John pushed me behind him. "I'll deal with this," he said. I stepped to the side to get a better view. John advanced on Lester and grabbed him by the front of his shirt. "If you _ever_ even _look_ in her direction again, Jeffster will have a new soprano singer."

Lester's face went white. He nodded shakily, and John let him go. Lester stood up straight, smoothed out his shirt, and then bolted down one of the aisles and out of sight.

I couldn't help laughing as I watched him run away. Something told me that he was going to _finally_ stop bugging me every time I came into the Buy More. I turned to John. "My hero," I said with a grin, then went up on my tiptoes to give him a kiss on his cheek. At the last moment, however, John turned his head so our lips met in a brief kiss. I pulled away, still smiling. Then I noticed that Chuck was staring at us. "Oh, by the way, John and I are dating now," I said. "Do you know where Morgan is?"

Chuck continued to just stare at the two of us, mouth hanging open slightly in shock.

"Why are you looking for Grimes?" John asked.

"Because I do not want a repeat of what happened after Morgan saw us at Subway together. He was really upset that I hadn't told him that we were dating, so I wanted to do things right this time."

"You're going to ask Grimes for his approval?" John asked in amazement.

I laughed. "Absolutely not! He's not my father, John. I'm just going to make sure that he knows that we're dating. I don't want him to think that I'm keeping secrets from him." I looked around the store. "Since Chuck seems to be having trouble forming words at the moment, do _you_ know where I can find Morgan?"

"You're in luck," John said, looking at something behind me. "He's coming this way."

I turned around to see Morgan walking over to us, shaking his head.

"Casey, how many times have I told you to stop terrorizing Lester?" Morgan asked.

"I'll terrorize anyone who tries to make a move on my girl," John said, pulling me close to him protectively.

Morgan's eyes almost popped out of his head when he realized what John was saying. "Wait, wait, wait," he said, waving his hands in a stopping motion. "I thought that you two were 'fake' dating."

I grinned. "That was last week," I said. "This week, it's real."

"When, exactly, did this happen?" Chuck finally found his voice again.

"Last night," I said. "I wanted you two to be the first to know." My job done, I turned to John. "Any way you can skip out for an hour and grab some lunch with me?"

John shook his head. "I just got back from lunch. If I had known you were coming, I would have waited."

I smiled. "Totally understandable. I'd better get going, though. I need to stop by the craft store to pick up some more yarn. Stop by my place after work if you're not too tired. I'll see you guys later!" I started to leave, but a hand on my arm stopped me. I turned back around to look at John.

"What, no goodbye kiss?" he asked, a small smirk on his lips.

I shrugged. "I don't know how comfortable you are with PDA," I explained.

"I'm not opposed to it," John said before dropping a quick kiss on my lips. When he pulled away, I was grinning.

"Good to know," I said, then left the store.

* * *

The man watched the group out of the corner of his eye, while pretending to browse the DVD selection. He knew that Colonel Casey was somehow connected to the Intersect Project, along with Charles "Chuck" Bartowski aka Charles Carmichael, but he couldn't figure out where the girl fit into it. Was she aware that her boyfriend was a spy? Could she be a spy herself? She certainly didn't _look _like a spy, but in his line of work he had learned early on that appearances were almost always deceiving. He would have to focus more of his energy on Alison Hudson.


	6. Chapter 6

After buying all the yarn that I would need for my current project, I stopped by Subway to grab a sandwich before heading to the library. I needed to find a new book to read. I wandered among the shelves for a good two hours, simply pulling books off at random and reading the back covers. Whenever I found a book that sounded interesting, I wrote down the title and the author. Once I had fifty books written down, I started from the top and checked out the first three. Looking at my watch, I realized that John would be getting off work soon, so I decided to head home.

The first thing I did was head over to the table near the door and put my library books down. When I turned to put the yarn away, I froze. A man was standing next to my bookshelf, watching me. He took a step towards me, and I instinctively knew that he was up to no good, so I ran. I was able to open the front door before he grabbed me. I let out a scream, praying that someone would hear me.

The man dragged me back into my apartment despite all my struggling. He then clapped a wet rag over my mouth and nose. I froze, not daring to breathe. The small whiff I had caught right before the rag cut off my air supply was enough to make me very dizzy. Just as I was starting to see little black spots appear in my vision, John came through the front door.

* * *

Casey got out of his car and had just slung his backpack over his shoulder when he heard Allie scream. His blood turned to ice, and he took off running. As he reached her still-open front door, he slowed down. He needed to proceed with caution. He didn't want to blow his cover, but he needed to see what was going on.

So, he simply walked through the open doorway. When he saw what happening, he grabbed the first book he saw and launched it with all his might, aiming for the guy's head. It hit with an audible _smack_ and the guy dropped like a rock, taking Allie down with him. Casey had already started moving when he threw the book, and he was able to catch Allie before she hit the floor.

"You okay?" he asked.

She nodded. "I'm fine. Just a little dizzy."

Casey let out the breath he had been holding. "Good." The guy on the floor started to move, so Casey let go of Allie and grabbed the man's arms, holding him in place with a knee in the middle of his back. "I need something to tie his hands with."

Allie was silent for a few moments before her face lit up. "I've got an idea!" she said, then headed into the kitchen.

"Casey, what's going on?" Sarah Walker's voice came from the doorway.

Casey looked over his shoulder and saw Walker advancing on him slowly, her gun drawn. "Put that away. Allie is in the kitchen."

"Is she alright?" Bartowski asked, coming up behind Walker and looking at the man on the floor. Casey watched as Bartowski's eyes unfocused for a few moments before he shook his head to clear it.

"Andrew Crawford, member of a group called the Lange Corporation. Their whole purpose is to find the Intersect."

"So why would they go after Allie? She has no idea that-" Walker cut herself off as Allie came back into the room.

* * *

I walked back into the front room, holding up my hand in triumph. "I've got some trash bag zip ties!" I announced proudly. John nodded.

"Perfect," he said as I handed them to him. Then I noticed Chuck and Sarah. "Hey, guys."

Chuck stepped around John and pulled me into a hug. "Are you all right? What happened?"

"I'm fine, Chuck," I reassured him, before telling my story. While I talked, Sarah was on the phone with the police. By the time they arrived, Ellie, Devon, and Morgan had come to check on me too.

After the police took the man away and wrote down John's and my statements, I told everyone to go home. What had happened was starting to sink in, and I just wanted to be alone for awhile. John stayed behind, despite my protests.

"Are you okay?" he asked, pulling me into a hug.

I nodded, leaning my head on his shoulder. "I'm okay. It just scares me when I think about what could have happened. Thank goodness you came in when you did."

"Do you want me to stay here tonight?" John asked.

I shook my head. "That's not necessary. I'm sure I'll be fine. I would like to go buy some type of security system tomorrow, though. The guy must have picked the lock."

"I have the morning shift tomorrow, but I can go with you in the afternoon," John offered.

I smiled. "That would be great!" I walked over and picked up the book that John had thrown. "You've got great aim, by the way. I think I've found my new favorite book."

"What book is it?" John asked.

I looked at the cover and started to laugh. "_Crime and Punishment_," I said. "Very appropriate choice, John. I approve."

John raised an eyebrow. "I just grabbed the nearest book."

"And people say I have way too many books." I shook my head. "It's a good thing I never listen to them."

"You need to learn some self-defense moves," John said suddenly.

"I already know basic self-defense," I said with a shrug.

John crossed his arms over his chest. 'Then why didn't you use it?" he asked pointedly.

"No time!" I said. "The guy grabbed me and stuck the rag over my face. If I had tried to fight him off, I would have used up my air supply quicker."

"What would you have done if I hadn't walked in?" John wanted to know.

I thought about that for a few moments. "Faked passing out so he would take the rag off so I could actually breathe and then kick his butt?"

John just shook his head slowly, but didn't comment. "Are you sure you don't need me to stay tonight?"

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm sure I'll be just fine. Really!" I added, when John just looked at me. "Look, if I have any problems and start flipping out, I'll call you."

John sighed. "Okay," he said slowly. "But starting this week, I'm going to teach you some self-defense moves."

I smiled. "Thanks, John." I walked with him to the front door.

"Don't hesitate to call me if you need to," John said before kissing me goodnight.

I promised him I would, watched until he got back to his apartment safely, then closed the door.

* * *

The moment Casey walked through the front door of his apartment, he headed for his surveillance equipment and brought up the feeds from Allie's apartment. He watched as she walked around putting various things away. Then she picked up one of her new books and sat down to read. Right away, Casey could tell that something was wrong. Allie was constantly shifting around, not sitting still like she normally did when she read. After about five minutes she put the book down and disappeared down the hallway. She came back moments later with a stuffed animal and a blanket. Once she had wrapped herself up in the blanket, she held the stuffed animal in one arm and picked up the book again. She read for ten minutes before she put the book back down and started to sob.

Casey wasn't sure what to do. Should he go back or leave her be? She promised that she would call him if she needed him, right? He nodded to himself. He would have to wait.

* * *

As I cried, I kept wishing that John would knock on my front door. I wanted to call him, but I wanted to seem strong. Part of my brain was telling me that I was being an idiot, but part of me didn't want to call him. One thing was clear, though. There was no way I was going to be able to sleep tonight. I was terrified that someone else was going to break in. Any creak in the apartment made me jump. After about half and hour, I couldn't take it anymore. I called John.

"Hello?"

"Hey, John…" was all I was able to get out before I had to choke back a sob.

"I'm on my way," he promised before hanging up.

Ten seconds later, there was a knock on my door. I looked through the peephole before opening the door to let him in. John had only taken two steps inside before I through my arms around him. He closed the door and led me back over to the couch. I already felt much safer with him there.

"I'm sorry," I said after a few minutes.

"Nothing to be sorry for," John said with a shrug.

"Why?" I asked. "Why _my_ apartment? What did he want? He didn't take anything. Nothing has been touched. It's almost like he was waiting for me, and that's what scares me the most." I looked up at John. "I want to learn self-defense. And I'm not talking about the basics. I want to learn how to get away in _any _situation."

John nodded slowly. "When do you want me to teach you?" he asked.

I stood up. "Right now."

John didn't look surprised as he got to his feet. "Okay," he said. "Let's get started."


	7. Chapter 7

The next afternoon, Casey closed his locker and was about to head home when his cell phone beeped. It was a text from Bartowski, telling him to come down to Castle, so Casey slipped through the secret entrance. Hopefully it would be a quick meeting-he had a security system to install.

He found Walker and Bartowski standing in front of a monitor talking with General Beckman.

"I'm glad you could join us on such short notice, Colonel Casey," General Beckman greeted him. "Andrew Crawford is only one man in a very large organization that is devoted to finding and destroying the Intersect. I need you to gather any Intel he may have about the Lange Corporation and what they know about the Intersect."

"General, with all due respect, I think Agent Walker is better suited for this assignment," Casey said. "I have a conflict of interest. The man threatened my girlfriend and I would like to tear him…"

"I trust that you can handle yourself like a professional, Colonel," General Beckman said. "You have your orders." With that, she signed off.

Without saying a word, Casey turned and headed out of the room. On the way to the prisoner's cell, he pulled out his cell phone and called Allie.

"Hello?"

Just hearing her voice made him smile. Casey wondered if he was starting to get soft. "Hey, I've got some bad news."

"Is everything okay?" Allie asked, worry lining her voice.

"Yeah, everything is fine. I just have to pull a double shift last minute. I won't be able to help you find and install a security system until tomorrow."

There was a long pause on the other end. "What about after you get off?" Allie finally asked, sounding nervous.

"I don't know when that will be," Casey said truthfully. "I may have to stay until the store closes."

"Couldn't you tell Morgan that we had plans this afternoon? I know he'll understand."

"Already tried. He said normally he wouldn't mind letting me go, but there's no way he can spare me tonight."

"Maybe I could talk to him," Allie offered.

"No," Casey grunted. "He's pretty stressed right now. Don't make it worse."

Allie sighed. "Okay. Thanks for calling and letting me know. Hopefully I'll see you later."

Before Casey could reply, Allie hung up. He snapped his phone shut with a sigh. He had known that he was going to have to start lying to her at some point, but he didn't like it. Something was bothering Allie, and he needed to figure out what it was-but later. Right now, he had a job to do. He squared his shoulders, told himself to keep his cool, and walked into the Interrogation room.

"You're going to tell me everything you now about the Lange Corporation and the Intersect," Casey growled. He pulled out a knife and started clearing the dirt from under his fingernails.

Crawford smiled. "We know everything about the Intersect. We know where it's located, who built it, how it works-everything."

Casey grunted in annoyance. "You don't know a thing." He sighed in disappointment. "And I was going to get me an ear, too." He stood up and stalked towards Crawford, knife still in hand. "Tell me who you work for."

Crawford just shook his head and mimed zipping his lips shut. Casey mentally groaned. This was going to take a while.

* * *

I just sat on the couch, the phone still in my hand. Why did he have to pull a double shift today, of all days? I knew I wasn't going to be able to sleep well until the security system was installed. _You've got to stop thinking about this, _I told myself. I put the phone down and turned on the TV. After flipping through all the channels twice, I turned it off again. I picked up my current crochet project, but that didn't help either. So, I opened my favorite book. After reading the same line five times and still not understanding it, I gave up.

I got up and walked into my kitchen. Hopefully cooking dinner would keep me busy for awhile. While I was pulling various ingredients out of my cupboards, I thought about bringing some to John at the Buy More. He said that Morgan couldn't spare him, so that probably meant the Buy More was probably busy, so John may not have a chance to get a second break. I nodded to myself. I was going to bring John some dinner.

After the Swedish meatballs and the mashed potatoes were done, I packed everything into Ziploc containers and drove over to the Buy More. When I got there, I headed straight for the Appliance section. When I couldn't find John, I walked over to Morgan's office.

"Hey, Al! What brings you here?" Morgan asked.

"I brought John some dinner since he's pulling a double shift, but I can't seem to find him."

Morgan looked perplexed for a few moments before smiling brightly. "He's in the back taking inventory. I'll go get him. You just wait here."

Before I had a chance to respond, Morgan was gone. I sat down in a chair to wait, but stood up again after a few moments. I started pacing around the office, hoping that John would show up soon.

* * *

Casey waited until he was out of the Interrogation room before he let his shoulders droop slightly. He was exhausted, and getting nowhere with Crawford. Even after two hours of intense questioning and thinly veiled threats, Crawford refused to utter a single word.

"Anything yet?" Walker asked, walking up to him.

Casey grunted in annoyance. "Not a thing out of him." Both Casey and Walker turned when they heard someone coming down the stairs. "What are you doing here, Grimes?" Casey growled. He was not in the mood to deal with the Bearded One at the moment.

"Allie is looking for you at the Buy More."

"Why? Is everything okay?" Casey asked, already heading for the stairs.

"She brought you dinner."

Casey stopped and turned back. "She what?"

Morgan shrugged. "She said that since you had to work a double shift, she brought you dinner."

Casey suppressed a sigh. Apparently Allie was the type of person who liked to make surprise visits to people she cared about. It was a nice thought, but he needed to put a stop to it. "Where is she?"

"In my office," Morgan said, following Casey up the stairs. They left Castle the same way Casey came and headed straight for Morgan's office. As they got closer, Casey could see Allie restlessly pacing back and forth. She would stop for a few moments and pick up something on Morgan's desk before putting it back down again and resuming her pacing. Something was definitely bothering her.

"This is a nice surprise," Casey said, stepping in front of her, forcing her to stop pacing.

Allie smiled briefly. "I thought I'd bring you some dinner. I wasn't sure if you'd be able to break away long enough to get something to eat."

Casey smiled as he took the containers from her. "Thank you. It smells wonderful. Next time you'll want to call first though. I was just about to go get something. I wouldn't want you to waste a trip."

"I wouldn't see it as a waste, but I'll be sure to call next time. I should probably get going so that you can get back to work," Allie said, yet she didn't move.

"Are you okay?" Casey asked, putting the containers down and walking up to her.

Allie smiled, but it didn't fool Casey for a second. "I'm fine."

Casey didn't say anything. He simply crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her.

"Really, I'm fine," Allie insisted, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. Casey raised an eyebrow, and Allie sighed. "Okay, I'm not fine. I don't know what's wrong with me today, but I keep looking over my shoulder. I keep feeling like someone is watching me. I can't sit still for more than a few seconds before I start pacing. John, I can't even lose myself in a book! I've never had trouble with that before!" In the middle of her speech, Allie had started pacing again.

Casey reached out and gently grabbed her arm, halting her in her tracks. "It's alright. It's perfectly normal to feel off balance after someone has broken into your home. Even more so if they attacked you."

"Does it ever get better?" Allie asked.

John nodded. "Eventually you'll stop looking over your shoulder. Until then, the only thing you can really do is to not think about it so much."

"How much longer are you going to be here?" Allie asked, slightly worried.

"I honestly don't know," Casey said. "Probably at least for another couple of hours."

Allie's face fell, so Morgan stepped forward. "Why don't you hang out at my apartment? Chuck and Sarah won't mind. Here's my key," he said, offering it to Allie. "Make yourself at home."

Allie smiled as she took it from Morgan. "Thanks, Morgan. I really appreciate it." Then she turned to Casey. "If you're up for it, stop by when you get home. Maybe we could watch a movie." Allie picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "I'll see you guys later." She walked out of the office without looking back.

Casey turned to Morgan. "Good work, Grimes," he grunted, then headed back to Castle.


	8. Chapter 8

Just like John had promised, after a few weeks, I was finally able to walk into my apartment without being afraid. The self defense lessons were coming along nicely. John kept saying that I could do better if I could just learn to hit him, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. All in all, life was going pretty good.

Except for John. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something was wrong. More often than not he was late for our dates. At least once a month he would call me up an hour or so before we were supposed to leave and cancel. Most times he would only say that "something came up." At first it wasn't a big deal. Then doubts started to creep in.

What if he was cheating on me? I tried to banish that thought. John didn't seem like the type of guy who would do that sort of thing. Besides, it's not like he planned to always be late. It wasn't his fault. Plus, he always apologized for being late and seemed genuinely upset when he had to cancel.

I sighed. John was (hopefully) already on his way over, and I had to think about something happy. Otherwise, he would ask if something was wrong, and I had never been a good liar. My cell phone rang, and as I picked it up, I saw that it was John. My heart sank.

"Hey babe," I said.

"Something came up. I'm going to be a little late tonight," John said.

I sighed, mad at myself that I wasn't really surprised. "Is everything alright?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.

"Everything is fine," John said. "There's just something I have to take care of before I can come over."

"Okay," I said. "I'll see you when you get here."

"I should be there in an hour or so," John said, then he hung up.

I slowly put my phone down, willing myself not to cry. Crying wouldn't help the situation any. But I would have thought that tonight, of all nights, he would have made an effort to not be late. _Get it together, girl. At least he didn't call to cancel._ Still, I had a sudden craving for chocolate. It was a good thing that I had just bought some earlier. I headed into the kitchen and pulled out the bag of peanut butter M&Ms.

I sat down on the couch and turned on my TV. After channel surfing for awhile, I settled down to watch the _NCIS _marathon. Two hours later, I was still watching, and John still hadn't shown up. I tried not to be too worried. Maybe whatever had prevented him from coming on time was still going on. I shook my head slightly, and focused on my TV show.

Like always, I got comfortable, and started to fall asleep. I tried to stay awake, and I thought I was doing a fairly good job, until a knock on my front door jolted me from the light doze I had previously been in. I looked at the clock and groaned. 1:00 AM. I pushed myself off the couch and headed over to the door. Looking out the peep hole I was surprised to see John. I quickly unlocked the door and opened it.

"Thank goodness you're all right," I said, grabbing him in a hug. "I was getting worried."

"I told you I was going to be late," he told me as I stepped aside to let him in.

I rolled my eyes. "John, late is an hour, maybe two. This is officially 'you missed the date' territory. Besides, you said you'd be here in an hour six hours ago."

"Are you mad?" John asked.

I sighed. "Upset, yes. But not mad. You must have had a _very_ good reason for missing my birthday dinner date."

"Morgan needed me to…"

I cut him off. "Look, I trust you. Please do not insult me by telling me you had to work late at the Buy More. Morgan would _never_ ask you to work late when he knew that we were going to be celebrating my birthday tonight. I don't know if you're a spy or in Witness Protection or what, but stop lying to me." I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. "I'm not asking you to spill your soul, John. All I'm asking is that you don't lie to me anymore."

John sighed. "I can't tell you where I was, or what I was doing."

"Can you promise that as long as we're together you'll always come back to me?"

John reached out and pulled me into a hug. "I promise that as long as I am able, I will always come back to you, and _only_ you."

I smiled and snuggled closer. Maybe I was being hopelessly naïve, but that was good enough for me. After a few minutes, John pulled away.

"I almost forgot-Happy Birthday." He held out a small box.

I grinned as I took it from him. "What is it?" I asked, pulling the wrapping paper off.

John chuckled. "Open it."

I gasped when I saw what was inside. I carefully lifted the heart-shaped silver locket so I could get a better look at it. "John, it's beautiful!" I breathed.

"I remembered the story you told me about losing the locket you had when you were five. You sounded like you missed having one." He held out a hand. "Here, let me help you put it on."

I grinned and dropped the locket into his palm. "This is by far one of the best gifts I've ever gotten."

He pushed my hair out of my way, then fastened the clasp. I turned around and our lips met for a few moments before I pulled away with a yawn.

"Tired?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I can stay awake if you want me to though."

John shook his head with a frown. "No, I won't ask you to do that. You need your rest."

"Are you okay?" I asked, sensing that something was wrong.

"Fine," John said, and I recognized his tone instantly. That was the I'm-not-fine-but-don't-push-me-about-it tone.

"If you say so," I said slowly. I was going to say something else, but a yawn escaped before I could.

"Go to bed," John said, pulling away.

"I'm sorry," I said sheepishly. "I keep falling asleep on you."

John grunted softly, and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "You have a tiring job. Although, staying up until 1 AM reading every night can't help," he added with a slight smirk.

"I can't help it," I explained, resting my head on his chest. "Every time I promise myself that I'll stop at the end of a chapter, the chapter _always _ends in a cliff hanger, and I have to find out what happens next." By the time I finished, I was mumbling and could barely keep my eyes open.

"We can talk about this more tomorrow," John said, helping me over to the couch.

"Why are you helping me lay down? I'm going to fall asleep before I can lock the door behind you!" I tried to push myself up, but failed.

"Where's your spare key?" John asked as he covered me up with a blanket.

"On a hook by the door," I mumbled, my eyes drifting shut. The last thing I was aware of was John brushing a soft kiss on my forehead.

* * *

The next day, I was walking around Burbank while chatting with John on my cell phone.

"So, I need you to go to the intersect…"

John cut me off. "Intersection of 4th Street and Grand, I know," he said reassuringly.

"Could you tell them that the mission is a go?" I asked. "They'll know what to do next."

"On my way," John said.

I smiled. Chuck and Sarah were going to be so surprised! "Great. We're still on for later, right?"

"I'll be there. Nothing is going to stop me from coming tonight," John growled.

I tried to contain my squeal of glee. John and I were definitely going on a date tonight! He swore that he would be there, and I knew that he meant it. "Wonderful! I can't…"

A hand clamped over my mouth and a sharp pain in my neck cut me off, and I almost dropped the phone. I instantly started to struggle, trying everything I could think of that John had taught me, but nothing was working. I could hear John calling my name, asking me if everything was okay, but I couldn't answer. My movements became more and more sluggish, and I suddenly realized that I had been injected with something that was making me pass out. Finally, I bit the hand that was over my mouth. The hand drew back quickly, but the arm that had dropped around my waist tightened. The moment I could talk I tried to yell into the phone, but all I could manage was a weak, "John, help me!" I refused to give up without a fight, though, and I was still trying to lash out when my world turned dark, and I blacked out.


	9. Chapter 9

"John, help me!" Allie's panicked voice pleaded, then the line went dead. Casey leapt into action. Pressing a few buttons on his phone, he activated the GPS tracking device that was inside Allie's locket. He jumped into his car and sped off, praying that he could get to her in time.

* * *

When I came to, it only took me a few moments to realize that my wrists were duct taped to a chair. I started squirming around, trying to free my wrists, but froze when someone chuckled.

"Now, that's not going to do you any good, my dear. But I'll make you a deal: If you're good, I'll leave your feet untied."

"You know, you could have just taken the purse," I said, as I looked around, trying to find the source of the British-sounding voice, and finally spotted someone lurking in the shadows. "Who are you?" I asked, trying to sound braver than I felt.

"That is of no concern to you," the man assured me. "All you need to worry about is giving me the correct answers to my questions."

"Okay…" I said slowly, still confused. What information could I possibly have that would cause this man to kidnap me?

"Where is the Intersect?"

I blinked. "The what?"

The man sighed. "Now, there's no need to be difficult," he said, walking forward. He stopped a few feet from where I was sitting. "Where is the Intersect?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said.

"I'm not going to tell you again: drop the act. Where is the Intersect?"

"I don't even know what that is, much less _where_," I said, rolling my eyes.

The man smirked. "You mean to tell me that you have no idea where the best kept secret of the CIA is being held?"

My fear was rapidly turning into anger. "How many times to I have to tell you that I have no idea what you're talking about?" I snapped.

"Now is not the time for games, my dear," the man said, starting to lose patience.

"I am not playing games!" I cried in frustration. "Geeze, no wonder you guys lost the Revolutionary War. If you're anything to go by, you're all idiots!"

The man raised a gun, pulled back the hammer, and held it just a few inches in front of my forehead. My panic sprang up to consume me in an instant. "Now, I'm not going to ask you again. For the last time, where is the Intersect?"

I took a deep breath and sent up a quick prayer that my death would be quick. "And I'm telling you for the last time that I have no idea what you're talking about. And even if I did, what makes you think I would tell you?" The man's eyes narrowed, and I braced myself.

This was it. My life was literally about to be over. I could see my life flash before my eyes. I saw my parents, my younger sisters, playing videogames with Chuck and Morgan (and getting my butt kicked every time), baking cookies with Ellie, John's eyes staring at me from across the table during one of the Woodcomb Sunday dinners, the night I told John that I loved him…In fact, I could see John quite clearly. But for some reason, I was imagining him holding a gun, ready to shoot the man who was holding me captive.

The man sighed. "I'm sorry, my dear, but that was the wrong answer."

All at once I realized that I really was seeing John. He was actually there!

"Okay!" I relented, trying to buy enough time for John to get within range. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. Guns scare me, and I was afraid that you wouldn't believe me and decide to shoot me." John made a circling motion with his finger, silently telling me to keep talking. "Not that I'm saying you would lie to me. I just think I've seen _way_ too many movies where the one guy swears he won't kill the person he's trying to get information from, and then he ends up killing them anyways, and that part always sucks, and it usually makes me…"

"Silence!" the man yelled, making me jump. I stuck out my bottom lip and pouted. The man instantly calmed down and I inwardly rolled my eyes. _I cannot believe that actually worked._ This man was so cliché that it hurt.

"So, where is the Intersect?" the man asked gently. I glanced at John and he nodded, holding up his gun.

"I don't know," I said with a grin. "But he might."

The man started to turn around, but John smacked him across the face with his gun. The man collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

"Are you okay?" John asked, walking over to me. He crouched down on the floor in front of me and pulled out a pocket knife.

I nodded. "Just a bit shaken up and completely shocked to see you here." I watched John try to cut the duct tape confining my wrists to the chair. "I have a pair of scissors in my bag."

John stopped and looked at me. "Where's your bag?" he asked.

I nodded towards the table.

"Over there."

John stood up, walked over and started rummaging through my purse.

"It's in a smaller purse inside the big one," I called.

John brought my purse back with him. "What's the point of that?" he grumbled.

"Well, I keep my crochet hook and a pencil in there too. The smaller bag makes it easier to find them," I explained.

"You keep a crochet hook in your purse?" John asked as he started to cut through the tape.

"Yeah. Too bad I wasn't able to get to it when I was grabbed. It would have made a great weapon. Not that I would know how to use it as one other than to stab their hand."

"I could teach you," John offered as he freed my wrist then moved onto the other one.

"For some reason, I don't doubt that you could," I said as the other wrist was freed. I ripped the tape off, wincing slightly. Then I threw my arms around John.

"Thank you. You saved my life."

He hugged me back briefly then pulled away. "As much as I would love to continue this reunion, we have to get out of here before the other men come back," John said, pulling me to my feet. He put his hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes, a serious expression on his face.

"Listen closely. If you want to get out of here alive, you have to do _everything_ I say the moment I say it. If I say duck, you duck. If I tell you to run, you run and don't look back. Understand?" Tears filled my eyes, but I nodded firmly.

"Yes."

"You scared?" John asked softly.

"Terrified," I admitted. John ran his hands down my arms and took my hands.

"What I am about to tell you is highly classified. I am a secret agent for the NSA. I do things like this all the time." I just stared at John for a few moments, my eyebrows raised in disbelief.

"Okay, I'm going to let my brain process that later," I said. "Right now, I just want to go home." John leaned over and gave me a quick but intense kiss.

"Let's go," he said, and we took off.

I followed John out of the room and down a hall, my heart pounding and my mind spinning. John Casey was a secret agent? He was certainly _acting_ like one. He had his gun out in front of him ready to shoot at anyone who got in our way.

Wait a second…if John was a secret agent, then why in the world was he dating _me_? Was I just part of his cover? Was this what Morgan had been talking about? Did John enjoy my (comparatively) boring life? Well, if he _was_ a secret agent, then it certainly explained a few things. Like all those times he was late or didn't show up for our dates. Or the bruises he would show up with while claiming to have run into a door or something. Not to mention…

"Stop."

I froze, my internal monologue cut off.

John was peering around a corner, looking troubled about something. "We've got a problem." John took a few steps back.

I peeked around the corner and saw four guys playing a card game in the middle of the room, and another two were guarding the only other exit, guns at their hips. I turned to John. "Yeah, that's a problem." We both thought for a few moments. Then I grinned. "I've got it!"

John looked doubtfully at me. "You have a plan?" he asked.

I nodded. "You go ask the guys if you can join their poker game and get them to look away from the door. Then I'll go to the door and try to leave. While I'm distracting the guards at the door, you deal with the guys at the card table. When you're done with them, then you come deal with the ones at the door, and we leave!"

"It's a bad plan," John declared instantly, crossing his arms over his chest.

My face fell. "What? Why?"

"It's too risky for you," John said, shaking his head. "What if something goes wrong?"

I sighed. "And what if it doesn't? John, I _know_ it's dangerous, but it's our only hope. Either the plan works, or I _die_. If we don't do anything, I'm dead. They're going to _kill_ me, John. At least if we do this, I'll have a fighting chance. I'd rather go out fighting then be shot while taped to a chair."

John sighed. "Okay, but for the record, I _really_ don't like this." Then he pulled me up against him and kissed me passionately. I kissed him back for a few moments before he pulled away.

"Good luck," he said. I gave him a brief smile.

"Be careful," I told him. He gave my hand a squeeze, then he was gone.

I watched as he walked over to the table, a big smile on his face. Within moments, all four men were looking at him. After a minute or so, John glanced at me, then towards the door, and finally back at the men he was talking to. That was my cue. Taking a deep breath, I walked over to the last obstacle that stood between me and freedom.

"Have a good day!" I told the guards cheerfully, reaching for the door handle.

Both men stepped in front of the door and I stopped.

"Your boss didn't tell you I could leave?" I asked in mock surprise.

"No. In fact, he just told us you had escaped."

Tears filled my eyes. I _had_ to get past these men! "That's not fair!" I cried, furiously wiping the tears away, trying to look convincing. "He told me I could go home!" A commotion behind me made me half turn around. John was fighting the four card players. Turning back, I saw one of the men who were guarding the door reach for his gun. I _had_ to distract him! "Peace out!" I said, and lunged for the door.

The guy on my left grabbed my arm, and I reacted. I slammed my fist down on his arm right below the elbow for a few moments before he let go. When he went to grab me again, I blocked him with my left arm and slammed the heal of my palm into his nose. My right side suddenly exploded in pain. I turned my head just in time to see the other guy hold up a knife that was now covered in my blood.

I doubled over in pain, my hand going to my side. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see John still fighting. He wasn't going to be able to save me. For the moment, I was on my own.

Pushing the pain to the back of my mind, I drove my elbow into the man's groin. When he bent over in pain, I grabbed him by the ears and slammed his nose into my knee. He went down with a _thud_. In my peripheral vision, I saw the first man coming at me again. I put everything I had into a solid kick-right between his legs. The man went down with a grunt and didn't move.

A hand landed on my shoulder. I shoved the arm away and as I started to turn, I thrust my left palm upward, aiming for the guy's nose. My wrist was caught before I could make contact.

"Easy, kid," John said reassuringly. "It's just me."

I blinked in surprise, then dropped my arm in relief.

"You okay?" John suddenly asked, catching me as my legs gave out. His eyes widened as he caught sight of my blood-soaked shirt.

I shook my head, my vision slowly going black. "No, I don't think so," I said thickly. The last thing I saw before I passed out was John's worried face hovering above me, his eyes filled with fear.

* * *

A rhythmic _beep-beep-beep_ was the first thing I became aware of. It took me a few tries, but I was finally able to open my eyes. I looked for the source of the beeping, and saw that I was hooked to some type of monitor. Turning my head to the other side, I smiled.

John was fast asleep in a chair next to the bed, and it looked like he had been there for a while. His clothes were rumpled and his face had some stubble around it. As I shifted to get more comfortable, my right side erupted in pain, and I couldn't stop a scream from escaping.

John was on his feet in an instant, wide awake. "It's alright," he said soothingly, reaching out to take my hand. "I know it hurts."

"Make it stop!" I begged, not even trying to put on a brave face.

John ran a hand down my cheek. "Hang on for just a few more moments, darlin'," he encouraged. "The meds should start working any moment now."

I cracked an eye open. "What meds?" As the words left my mouth, a _wonderful_ feeling swept over me, chasing the pain away. "Oh, _those_ meds." I grinned up at John.

"Better?" he asked, a small smirk on his lips.

"You are amazing. How did you _do _that?" I asked in wonderment.

John pointed to a spot on my IV. "When the pain gets unbearable, just push this button here. It administers a shot of morphine into your IV tube."

"I've always wondered what it would be like to be on morphine," I said thoughtfully. "This is awesome! Not quite Devon awesome, but totally awesome! Did I ever tell you that because of you, I know the meaning of the phrase 'chiseled jaw'?" John's smirk got a little wider, but I couldn't figure out what was so funny. "Great to see you, babe. Love ya tons, thanks for saving my life, but I'm going to go to sleep now." With that, the morphine fully kicked in, and I fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

"John, I promise, I'll be just fine! Please go get some real food," I practically begged, but John just shook his head.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said, not even looking up from his magazine.

I sighed. "Babe, you haven't left this room in 48 hours. You must be going insane."

"I'm fine," he said. Just then the door opened and Ellie walked in.

"How are you doing?" she asked, picking up my chart.

I thought for a few moments. "Pain is at a three or so," I reported.

John finally looked up from his magazine. "Why didn't you say something?" he asked.

"Because it doesn't hurt that bad," I said with a shrug. "I've had worse pain from a migraine. It just feels like I have really, really bad cramps."

"Well, I have some good news for you," Ellie said with a smile. "Everything looks really good, so you get to go home today!"

"You sure that's a good idea?" John asked, and I rolled my eyes.

"John, Ellie is a doctor. I'm sure she knows what she's doing. They'll probably give me a prescription for some pain meds, along with instructions to take it easy."

Ellie nodded. "Although I would feel better if you had someone stay with you until you're able to fully move around on your own," she said worriedly.

I waved a hand at her. "I'm sure I'll be able to manage…"

"I'll stay with her," John announced, putting down his magazine.

"No, you don't have to…" I started, but he cut me off again.

"I want to." Without giving me a chance to reply, he turned to Ellie. "Tell me what she needs, and I'll get it for her."

I knew that I wasn't going to be able to talk John out of his plan, so I stayed quiet while he and Ellie discussed the various details. Once they were done talking, I signed a few forms, and then John was free to drive me home.

It took the two of us forever to get from the parking lot to my front door. Not only because I still couldn't walk very fast, but because everyone wanted to hear what had happened. Thankfully, the cover story that John and I had come up with was fairly simple to remember. The official story was that we had been mugged while coming out of a movie. The mugger had grabbed me to try to threaten John into giving him his wallet, but I had attacked the mugger by using some of the self-defense moves that John had taught me. Unfortunately, I had gotten stabbed in the process. The mugger had escaped while John was busy calling an ambulance.

The truth had a slightly happier ending. After I had passed out in the warehouse, a strike team had moved in and taken everybody there into custody. According to John, I had been a big part in taking out an entire underground group. He wouldn't tell me any more than that, and that was fine with me.

When we finally got inside my apartment, I headed straight for the couch. I was exhausted, and my side was starting to throb. John appeared with my pain meds and a glass of water.

"Thanks, babe," I said. "Once I get up enough energy, I'll move to my room. I'm probably just going to go to bed for the night. Do you still have my spare key so you can lock the door behind you?"

John gave me a look. "I promised Ellie that I would stay with you until you're fully recovered. Don't turn me into a liar. You know how much that would break her heart."

I sighed. "Okay, you win," I said, closing my eyes. "I am way too tired to fight you on this. You going to be okay sleeping on the couch?"

"I'll be fine," John promised. He was silent for a few moments. "We need to talk."

"About what?" I asked, not opening my eyes.

"About what I told you in the warehouse."

"You told me a lot of things in the warehouse, John," I pointed out. "You told me to listen when you said duck or run, you told me that I didn't need to be scared, and you told me to be careful. What do we need to talk about?"

"That I told you I am a secret agent of the NSA," John said bluntly.

I opened my eyes and looked at John in confusion. "You never told me that."

John gave me the don't-be-a-moron look that he usually reserved for Morgan. "Yes, I did."

I shook my head and closed my eyes again. "No, you didn't. I would have remembered that."

"It was right after I freed you from the chair," John tried to remind me.

I smiled and opened my eyes. "John, did you dip into my morphine supply while I wasn't looking? You are _not_ a secret agent. You work at the Buy More." I held out a hand to John. "Could you help me walk to my room, please?"

Instead of helping me to my feet, John scooped me up into his arms. Being careful to not jostle me around too much, he carried me down the hall to my room.

"Allie, we really need to talk about this," he said as he laid me on the bed.

I sighed. "Look, I remember quite clearly what you told me, John. I also know just how important it is that I never breathe a word to _anyone, _including you, about what was said. I understand that if I talk, people could die. I do not want anyone's blood on my hands, thank you very much." By this point, the meds had fully kicked in, and I was starting to feel drowsy. "Now, if you don't mind, I would love to go to sleep."

John placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Get some rest, darlin'. If you need anything, I'll be in the living room."

"Okay," I said, and slid into sleep, knowing that the conversation still wasn't over.

* * *

"Am I out of danger?" I asked over breakfast the next morning.

John sighed and put down his fork. "No," he confessed. "I have a pretty dangerous job. There is always the risk of someone finding out who I am. If they can figure that out, then it would be a snap to find how you're connected to me. I'll understand if that's a risk you don't feel comfortable taking."

I wanted to reassure him instantly, but I owed it to him to truly think about it. Was I willing to go through what I had again for the man I loved? Had it been worth it? Could I trust myself to keep John's secret, even from my two best friends? I felt a smile bloom across my face as I realized the answer to all my questions was a definite yes. I reached over and took John's hand.

"I'm willing to take the risk, John, for as long as you want me."

"I will always want you," he said, putting his free hand on top of mine.

My heart started pounding and tears filled my eyes. It was through sheer force of will that I kept my voice steady. "Then I'm yours."

John smiled, took my face in his hands, and kissed me. As I leaned in to the kiss, I felt that all was right with the world, and I couldn't wait to see what the future held in store for us.

* * *

A/N: And that's the end! I want to thank each and every person who has stuck with this story the whole way through! I hope you've enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!


	11. Bonus Scene

Hello faithful readers! I was reading over some of your reviews, and someone mentioned they were sad that I hadn't included a scene from Casey's POV after Allie was stabbed. Before I knew it, the ideas came flooding in, and I sat down an wrote this! I'm hard at work on the sequel to this, so hopefully I'll have that up sometime before the end of the year. (Life is insanely busy right now, so that's the best I feel like I can promise and still deliver on!) Hope you enjoy this extra scene!

* * *

Casey's arms reached out automatically as Allie's legs suddenly gave out on her. His eyes caught sight of the rapidly-growing blood stain on her shirt, and his heart nearly froze. "You okay?" he asked.

Allie shook her head. "No, I don't think so," she said, then passed out.

Casey gently lowered her to the floor, his mind and heart a whirl of emotions. Right then, the door burst open, and a special ops team came pouring in, with Bartowski and Walker in the lead.

"Casey!" Bartowski called, running over.

"Oh, my God," Walker said, as she caught sight of Allie's unconscious form.

"Allie?!" Bartowski cried in panic. "Casey, what happened? Is she going to be okay?"

"She took on the two men guarding the door. One of them had a knife. She was still able to take them down after she was stabbed," Casey said in admiration, not taking his eyes off her still form. He reached out a hand and brushed away a lock of brown hair that had fallen in her face.

"We need a medical team, stat!" Walker said into a radio. Within moments, paramedics were rushing up with a stretcher.

Casey stood up carefully, taking care to not jostle Allie around too much. He placed her on the stretcher, then ran a hand down her cheek. "Hang in there, darlin'. Don't you quit on me now." He turned to one of the paramedics. "I'm riding with you."

The paramedic took one glance at the look on Casey's face and decided it would be in his best interest to not even attempt to argue with the man. "You got it."

Casey finally turned to look at Walker and Bartowski. "Tell Ellie and Woodcomb to meet us at the hospital," he said. "Tell them we were mugged while coming out of a movie. I want Woodcomb operating on her." Without waiting for a reply, he strode off in the direction of the ambulance.

As he sat in the back holding Allie's hand as the paramedics worked to stabilize her, John Casey found himself praying to a God who he hadn't spoken to in years.

_Please, let her live_, was all he could think to say. It what seemed like no time at all, they were at the hospital, and Woodcomb was there when the doors to the ambulance opened.

"What have we got?" Woodcomb asked as they set the stretcher on the ground.

"Female, late 20s, single stab wound on the right side. One unit of blood already given. Pulse weak, but steady."

"Allie, can you hear me?" Woodcomb called, prying open her eyes one at a time and shining a light in them.

"She's been unconscious for about 20 minutes now," Casey said as they wheeled the stretcher into the hospital.

"Thanks, Casey. I'll take it from here." Woodcomb turned towards the nurse who had come to help push the stretcher. "Let's get her into OR 3 stat."

One of the hardest things Casey had ever had to do in his life was to simply stand there, and let Woodcomb whisk Allie away from him. He had to trust that everything would be done to save Allie's life.

A light hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts. He turned and saw Ellie and Morgan standing there, Morgan looking terrified, and Ellie clearly trying to stay strong.

"John, what happened?" Ellie asked.

"We were mugged while coming out of a movie," Casey said, trying to keep it simple. "The guy grabbed Allie and held a knife to her throat. When he demanded that I had over my wallet, Allie decided to use some of the self-defense moves that I taught her. She was able to break free, but the bastard was able to stab her before running off."

"Oh my God," Ellie breathed.

Morgan held out a brown paper bag. "I thought you might want a change of clothes," he said.

Casey looked down and noticed for the first time that his shirt was covered in blood. "Thanks, Grimes," he said, taking the bag and heading to the nearest bathroom.

Five minutes later, he was back in the waiting room, prowling around like a caged tiger. I can't lose her, he thought over and over. Morgan watched as he paced, but wisely didn't say anything.

Time lost all meaning to Casey as he waited. At one point, Walker and Bartowski showed up. Walker murmured to him that everyone in the warehouse had been taken into custody, but Casey barely heard her. Bartowski told him that General Beckman hoped Allie would make a full recovery, and to keep her updated.

After what seemed like an eternity, Woodcomb finally walked into the room, looking exhausted. He was still in his scrubs, and it was obvious he had just come from the operating room.

"How is she?" Casey asked, getting right to the point, his heart in his throat._ Please..._

"She's going to be just fine," Woodcomb said with a smile, and it was like a huge weight had been taken off of Casey's shoulders. "She lost a lot of blood, but the knife missed any major organ. She's incredibly lucky."

"I want to see her," Casey said.

"She won't wake up for a few more hours, if not until tomorrow morning," Woodcomb warned. "But I'll take you to her room."

When Casey saw Allie lying in the hospital bed and heard the steady beep-beep-beep of the heart monitor, he let out the breath he had been holding since she passed out in the warehouse. He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I'm here, darlin'," he whispered, "and I'm not going anywhere until you wake up." And Casey settled down in the chair next to the bed to wait.


End file.
